Air Force

People First – July 26, 2013

Editor’s Note: The “People First” section is compiled from information from the Air Force Personnel Center, TRICARE, 56th Force Support Squadron, Airman and Family Readiness Flight, Veterans Affairs, the civilian personnel office and armed forces news services. For the complete story, go to the web address listed at the end of the story.

The process change implemented this month affects staff sergeant, technical sergeant and master sergeant positions in special duties selected because of their unique leadership roles and the responsibility to mentor and mold young Airmen, said Chief Master Sgt. Charles Mills, the AFPC Airman assignments division superintendent.

Enlisted developmental special duties deemed developmental because they represent the enlisted corps, and create, develop and care for our Airmen include: career assistance advisor, military training instructor, military training leader, U.S. Air Force Academy military training NCO, Airman and Family Readiness Center NCO, first sergeant, U.S. Air Force Honor Guard NCO, enlisted accessions recruiter and professional military education instructor. In addition, Air Force specialty training instructors identified with a “T” prefix will be developmental special duties.

“The selected fields have direct, long-term impact on members’ personal and professional lives and it is critical that they be fully manned by top-quality Airmen,” Mills said.

Engaging in social media can be a positive experience that entertains, keeps people connected and allows opinions to be expressed on a wide variety of topics.

In some cases though, social media can ruin personal reputations or careers, and create an open window for criminals to access personal information.

According to the Air Force’s top social media expert, safe use of social-media outlets is simple — use common sense.

Tanya Schusler is the chief of social media for the Air Force Public Affairs Agency, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. She said in many cases, problems arise when people are “too trusting” with their personally identifiable information.

“It can be something as simple as sharing your location when visiting your favorite store or restaurant,” said Schusler. “This tells your social network one critical piece of information — you’re not home.”

To take full advantage of social media, and still post to Facebook and tweet to friends safely, Schusler offered the following advice:

The rigid requirements of sequestration spending cuts have made it difficult for the Air Force to maintain readiness, the service’s top officer recently said.

Speaking to CNN’s John King at the annual Aspen Institute Security Forum in Aspen, Colo., Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh III said each service has four major accounts: personnel, infrastructure and facilities, modernization, and readiness.

“We have had a great amount of difficulty recently doing anything about the infrastructure and facility costs — we can’t seem to get to a point where we can reduce those,” he said. “We have not been able to reduce the people costs. In fact, the people costs have gone up exponentially over the last 10 years.”

So, he said, sequestration requirements have driven the Air Force to look at modernization and readiness costs. “Those are the only places we have to take money from,” Welsh said.

The Chief of Staff of the Air Force will sponsor three eligible captains to pursue a doctorate degree through the fiscal 2014 CSAF Captains Prestigious PhD Program, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

“The program helps develop a cadre of strategic thinkers,” said Tech. Sgt. Jason Franklin, from the AFPC officer developmental education section. “Intellectual development of officers, especially in critical thinking skills, relatively early in their careers will result in Air Force and joint leaders who have the ability to communicate at a strategic level with civilian leaders across enterprises.”

Candidates selected for the program may pursue studies in history, political science, international relations, economics, philosophy, international business relations, international security studies, and political systems and theories.

Participating educational institutions include Columbia University, Cornell University, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Tufts University-The Fletcher School, University of California-Berkley, University of California-Los Angeles, University of Chicago, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Texas-Austin, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Yale University.

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — The men and women of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing came together for a road dedication ceremony to honor Master Sgt. Randy Gillespie, a fallen Airman who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Master Sgt. Randy Gillespie was a career fuels specialist who died July 9, 2007, from wounds sustained during small...

I have been in the Air Force for 22 years and have been a medical laboratory technician since the beginning of my career. The medical or clinical laboratory is where specimens are tested to provide information to medical providers who directly assist in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease in patients. After graduating basic...

Everyone knows education can be a good bullet on an enlisted performance report, but few know the true value of an education in regard to a military career. The pursuit of an education can be just as valuable as the degree acquired at the end. The knowledge acquired in the pursuit of an education can...

There are many reasons why people divorce but at the top of the list are lack of communication and finances. That’s why it’s important to combine these two topics to make for a successful long-lasting relationship. “I bel...

Total body conditioning class A new total body conditioning class is 6:30 and 9 a.m. Monday and Wednesday. The 6:30 a.m. class is broken into two half hour segments to accommodate squadron or individual physical training. The 9 a.m. class is one hour. The class consists of body weight movements and the use of equipment...

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